Calendar of Events

Thursday Night at the Center with Drew Downs

Have you ever looked at a geologic map and wondered how the different colors are determined and what they mean? Geologic mapping has been one of the most fundamental mandates of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since its establishment in 1879. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologic mapping on the Island of Hawaiʻi focuses on volcanic vents (such as fissures and scoria cones) and their associated lava flows and tephra deposits divided by age. Geologists use different criteria to tell these deposits apart, requiring countless hours of field work and lab analyses, and the deposits are represented on geologic maps by different colors. Join Drew Downs, geologist at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, as he describes the art and science that goes into creating a geologic map for the USGS. (This presentation will be repeated at UH-Hilo on January 29.) USGS map: Geologic map units of lower Puna District, Island of Hawaiʻi.  

Thursday night at the Volcano Art Center, focusing on art, Hawaiian culture, and our environment.  The series is intended to inspire, and enhance your appreciation of art and life experience, while fostering community connections. This presentation is free, although a donation is greatly appreciated.

Thursday Night at the Center : A Song for Nicholas

Honoring a Legacy: The Story behind the Short Film” A Song for Nicholas” by Eddie & Myrna Kamae

In November 1993, revered Hawaiian musician and filmmaker Eddie Kamae, along with his wife Myrna, visited Volcano, Hawaiʻi, to prepare for a presentation of The Hawaiian Way: Slack Key Documentary. Fresh off its premiere at the Kennedy Centerin Washington, D.C., the film was set to be showcased across the islands as part of the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. These events brought together the Sons of Hawaiʻi, who performed live music in an unforgettable way.

During their stay at Kilauea Lodge, the owner approached Eddie with a special request: a benefit concert for the office manager’s baby, Nicholas, who required a life-saving operation in San Francisco. Known for his selectivity in choosing charitable causes, Eddie felt a deep connection upon meeting baby Nicholas and knew he had to help. Upon returning to Honolulu, Eddie teamed up with his lyricist, Jay Larrin, to create the heartfelt song”Baby Days,” which was performed at the benefit concert. The event was a tremendous success, reflecting the profound impact the Sons of Hawaiʻi and the community support for Nicholas’s future.

Eddie Kame’s dedication didn’t end there. Over the years, he stayed in touch, checking on Nicholas’s progress. This short film, narrated by Nicholas’s siblingsSteven and Jesse Coney, tells the touching story of those days and the creation of “Baby Days”. As we honor Eddie Kamae’s legacy, we are proud to share Nicholas’s story and the music that inspired it, fulfilling Eddie’s wish to bring this heartwarming chapter to light.

Thursday night at the Volcano Art Center, focusing on art, Hawaiian culture, and our environment.  The series is intended to inspire, and enhance your appreciation of art and life experience, while fostering community connections. This presentation is free, although a donation is greatly appreciated.